Study on heat-treated pyrolytic carbon deposited from methane on directly heated carbon fibres

Abstract

The study investigated the morphology, microstructure, structure, texture, and mechanical properties of heat-treated at 1600 °C and 2000 °C pyrolytic carbon (PyC) deposited from methane using various methods such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Raman spectroscopy, and ultrasonic dynamic measurements of Young's modulus. The PyC was synthesised at 1100 °C using a chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method with direct electrical heating of the two types of carbon fibres (CFs). The results showed that the PyC had a low- and medium-texture (LT and MT PyC). Analysis of the graphitization trajectory allowed the determination of structural changes in the material as a function of temperature, including the growth of crystallites and an increase in the crystallinity proportion without the significant rearrangement within PyC. The crystallite size and the number of interstitial defects has increased with temperature that controlled mechanical properties. Therefore, based on the results obtained, the most suitable composites for further research in the context of electrodes for stimulation of nervous tissue were obtained at the temperature of their synthesis, i.e. at 1100 °C.